The nation's faux pas
In a Nov. 4 San Francisco Chronicle article, Professor Emeritus of Political Science Richard DeLeon defended San Francisco's progressive political activities. As the city remains at the forefront of political issues, from gay and lesbian rights to its nonsmoking policy, the city continues to create a testing ground for political propositions before they move to the rest of the United States. "San Franciscans, across the board, see themselves on the national stage," DeLeon said. "They always see themselves as the vanguard, leading the way, heading for the spotlight."

Spilling the truth
A year after the Cosco Busan oil spill, scientists are growing concerned about the health of the speices and habitats in the San Francisco Bay. A Nov. 2 San Francisco Chronicle article discussed the work of scientists and researchers from SF State who are researching the rate of photosynthesis in eelgrass to determine the effects of the spill and its implications on marine life in the Bay. According to one of the researchers, eelgrass helps to prevent erosion, calm waves and provide"a sanctuary for other bay plants, for the fish that congregate and for the herring that deposit and hatch eggs there."